


Sobriety Test

by Santana2



Series: I think you're pretty. [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Little bit of angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-05-15 13:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5787391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Santana2/pseuds/Santana2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakashi keeps trying to convince Iruka that he’s beautiful. It’s too bad Kakashi is always half out of his mind when he does. </p><p>Or, the three times Kakashi told Iruka how he felt and the one time Iruka believed him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Poison

A/N: Why do so many of my stories start out with giant coincidences? It’s probably laziness.

* * *

The first time it happened, they were still practically strangers with nothing in common but three students and adjacently assigned practice fields for the day.

A sudden and very familiar wailing had interrupted Iruka’s first sparing practice with his new class of rowdy pre-Genin, startling even the birds out of the trees. He couldn’t make out the words, but he had ordered his teaching assistant to stay with the class while he made sure it was okay. With Naruto that amount of noise could mean the world was actually ending or that he found extra money in his pocket. Iruka had to check either way.

“Naruto?” Iruka asked as he jogged up to the blonde standing with Sakura and Sasuke. The three Genin seemed to be huddled around something on the ground, “What – ?”

At that moment Naruto turned and saw Iruka, big blue eyes widening dramatically as he said, “Sakura killed Kakashi-sensei!”

“I didn’t mean to!” Sakura squeaked tearfully right as Sasuke said, “He’s not dead, idiot,” and Naruto followed up with, “Well, he’s gonna be!”

Iruka decided to ignore all three of them for the moment in favor of seeing to the heap of Jounin he could make out in the center of the kids’ half-circle.

Kakashi-sensei was sitting on his heels and swaying, one hand to his forehead, and the other cradled against his chest. “Kakashi-sensei?” Iruka asked as he pushed between Naruto and Sasuke, “What happened?”

He meant for Kakashi to answer but the Jounin just looked up at him and blinked, “Who’re you?”

Sasuke took that as a cue and explained for him, “Kakashi-sensei was showing us how to make and use poison senbon.” It wasn’t much but all the information Iruka needed as he glanced down at Kakashi’s red and swollen hand.

“Great – Hang on,” Iruka paused in surprise and turned to Sakura, “You hit a _Jounin_ with a poison senbon?” He shouldn’t have sounded impressed, but . . . damn.

Sakura’s eyes shifted as she said tremulously, “Not exactly . . .”

“She accidentally stabbed Kakashi-sensei in the hand with one while he was showing her how to prep it,” Sasuke supplied.

“Ah,” Iruka would get more details on that one later, “What kind of poison was it?” He was speaking exclusively to the kids now, because Kakashi had continued to just . . . stare at him. It was getting a little creepy.

Iruka started rummaging in his pockets for a syringe while Sakura rushed to the mat full of supplies Kakashi had apparently set up. There were trays and several boxes of senbon, some of which were still soaking in various liquids. A book of herbs sat open on one corner the pages flapping in the breeze.

Sakura came back and thrust a small brown bottle in Iruka’s face, “This one. It was this one.” Her voice was breathy and panicked but Iruka saw immediately from the bottle’s label that she had nothing to worry about.

“It’s okay, you three,” Iruka said and thought Sakura might burst into tears. Naruto let out a breath. Sasuke . . . didn’t change much. “It’s non-lethal and Kakashi-sensei probably has the antidote in his supplies.” _Just like every other Shinobi_ , Iruka refrained from saying out loud as he pulled the aforementioned antidote from his own vest pocket _, And surely the man’s not crazy enough to allow any_ real _poisons around inexperienced Genin in the first place_.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Sakura sighed.

“Yeah, how hard is it to get a new Jounin-sensei if you kill the first one?” Naruto wondered out loud.

“I told you so,” Sasuke grumbled.

“You’re cute,” Kakashi piped up.

Iruka stopped and slowly looked up from measuring a dose of the antitoxin. Kakashi-sensei was still staring right at him. Iruka couldn’t see the kids behind him but all three were suddenly very quiet.

Then Kakashi started listing to one side and Iruka had to lunge to catch him before the Jounin had a rough meeting with the hard-packed ground of the training field.

“You’re really, really cute,” Kakashi mumbled as Iruka sat him up-right again and heard Naruto snicker behind him.

Iruka smiled kindly, “Thanks, so are you,” he started pushing up one of Kakashi’s sleeves.

Kakashi’s eye widened as he reached his free hand up to his face and felt his mask. Then he scowled at Iruka, “Nice try, but I’m not that doped up.” Sakura joined in Naruto’s snickering.

Iruka bit back his own laugh as he pushed the needle into Kakashi’s arm, “Right, sorry about that.”

Kakashi blinked sluggishly before his eye crinkled into a smile, “Aw, I can’t stay mad at you, cutie.” There was a loud cough from Sasuke.

“I’m Iruka, by the way,” Iruka said mildly and pressed the plunger on the syringe, “Not ‘cutie’. I’m your Genin team’s former Sensei.”

Kakashi seemed to think about that for a minute as he watched Iruka pull the needle out of his arm and press his thumb to the puncture, “I-ru-ka,” Kakashi sounded out, “That’s adorable.”

“Should we take him to the hospital?” Sasuke asked slowly.

“Ew, no. Bad Genin,” Kakashi replied immediately, pointing an accusing finger at an unimpressed Sasuke, “I’ll just stay with Iruka-cutie. No hospital.”

“Yes, hospital,” Iruka laughed, “Just to be safe.” Kakashi let out a keening noise and Iruka patted his arm, “I’ll go with you, how’s that?” Kakashi brightened marginally.

Iruka instructed Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to carefully collect the supplies Kakashi had laid out while he watched after the Jounin.

“I wanna stay here,” Kakashi slurred petulantly after a moment and Iruka shook his head.

“Kakashi-sensei, you’ve been poisoned,” Iruka tried to explain without laughing outright.

Kakashi flapped a hand through the air, “I’m mostly immune to everything I brought.” Iruka wondered if the definition of “immune” changed with rank. “And the trees are so shiny here,” Kakashi continued and started swaying dangerously again. Iruka steadied him as the Jounin eye-smiled, “Like your eyes. Pretty, shiny brown eyes.”

“I think we should hurry up, guys,” Iruka called over his shoulder to the Genin.

“I think you should kiss me,” Kakashi replied sincerely and leaned forward. Well, fell forward.

Iruka grunted, startled as the Jounin’s weight landed on him. Kakashi’s face ended up buried in Iruka’s shoulder, the Chunin’s arms instinctively going around the Copy-nin’s chest to hold him up.

“I missed,” Kakashi’s voice sounded surprised even muffled by Iruka’s flak jacket and the ever-present mask.

“I dodged,” Iruka tried to push the Copy-nin back into a sitting position but Kakashi seemed pretty content where he was. And he was heavier than his lanky frame looked.

“Was aiming for your mouth,” Kakashi explained into Iruka’s shoulder, “It’s a really nice mouth, you should be proud.”

“Thank you, I am,” Iruka replied absently and then called over his shoulder again, “How’re we doin’ back there, Naruto?”

“We’re ready Iruka-sensei,” Naruto said and trotted up with Sakura and Sasuke, supplies packed away a little haphazardly making Iruka itch to give a lecture on proper handling of poisoned weapons.

“Excellent,” Iruka thought he sounded more relieved than he should have, “Help me get Kakashi-sensei to his feet.”

* * *

 

Later, Iruka had deposited Kakashi with a few giggling nurses and Team Seven had insisted on staying in the waiting room even though a rather bemused doctor had told them Kakashi would be perfectly fine within the hour.

Iruka would have waited with them but he had neglected his own class (and his unfortunate, and probably traumatized, teaching assistant) long enough and the day was still young. He bid the kids goodbye and assured a sulking Naruto they would go for dinner later.

Once that was cleared away and Iruka was walking out of the hospital he caught his reflection in one of the large windows that lined the front of the building. A moment of pure vanity struck him and Iruka paused just long enough to frankly evaluate himself.

A beat passed and then Iruka huffed a small laugh before moving on. The poison in Kakashi’s system _was_ a hallucinogenic, after all.

* * *

A/N: More brain vomit due to a boring work day. Thanks for putting up with me this far :D 


	2. Concussion

A/N: After wasting time and piddling around on Narutopedia I have found that Kakashi and Iruka have the same blood type (O). I implore you to do with that information what you will, because heaven knows I’m probably going to. Not here, but somewhere, maybe.

This chapter was partially inspired by The Office (U.S.) episode called “The Injury.” Kudos if you know the one I’m referring to. Also, in case you’re like me and weren’t sure, it is actually a myth that you shouldn’t sleep after suffering a concussion.

* * *

The second time it happened, they were still mostly just acquaintances, but now with an awkward apology and a few Naruto-initiated dinners between them.

Iruka still had to bite his cheek whenever he thought of Kakashi-sensei embarrassedly trying to say, “Sorry for, um, sexually harassing you while I was under the influence of a hallucinogen.”

Although, he figured the Jounin was probably more embarrassed by being taken out by a Genin. And if Iruka hadn’t been caught off guard by the carelessness of children a number of times himself (more than he’d like to count), he might have been less forgiving. In fact, he told Kakashi-sensei so and Iruka swore the Copy-nin blushed under that mask.

After that Iruka didn’t get the chance to interact with Kakashi-sensei outside of Team 7 meetings that coincided with his time with Naruto, and things went on as usual.

That, unfortunately, didn’t stop Iruka from developing a teeny, _tiny_ little crush on the Copy-nin. It wasn’t a big deal. Iruka just admired Kakashi-sensei from afar, asked Naruto about his well-being sometimes, and, occasionally, marveled at how the man managed to make the “lazy sensei slouch” look so damn elegant. And sexy. How was that fair?

But it was not a big deal.

That is, it wasn't. Until Iruka and Kakashi-sensei were assigned to the same body-guard mission for one of the Daimyo’s representatives. Three other Chunin accompanied them, as well as a Jounin medic, and a single ANBU. It was probably a bit more manpower than was necessary as they weren’t even leaving Fire Country, but the client was rather important to the Daimyo and had been willing to pay for it so the Sandaime granted his request.

The trip from the village was relatively routine, even when the ANBU, codename Cat, had quietly informed them that they were being followed. Kakashi had volunteered to help neutralize the possible threat while Iruka and the others went ahead with the representative’s party.

Iruka’s group had stopped for a break when Cat and Kakashi rejoined them, the former subtly supporting the latter by the elbow.

Iruka glanced back at the group quickly before going over to the two, grabbing the med-kit on the way. As the others were busy patrolling or entertaining the representative, Iruka would find out if there was a reason to bother the medical ninja first.

Cat had settled Kakashi under a nearby tree by the time Iruka reached them, asking, “What happened?”

“Kakashi-sensei has a head injury,” Cat said simply, voice muffled by the mask.

Kakashi glared at the ANBU, “I’m fine.”

“Of course you are,” Cat said almost cheerfully, cementing Iruka’s belief that the two must know each other. ANBU were unnerving to most, Iruka included, but the way Kakashi acted, he was either immune to the effect of the faceless operatives or was incredibly familiar with them. Only an idiot wouldn’t put money on the second.

Iruka hid his smile and cut off Kakashi’s retort by kneeling in front of he Copy-nin to open the med-kit, “Are you bleeding?”

“Back of his head,” Cat supplied, receiving another glare and . . . did Kakashi just stick his tongue out? Iruka couldn’t tell with Kakashi’s mask but he would swear he just stuck his tongue out at an elite ANBU.

Iruka decided to ignore it for the moment, “Let me see Kakashi-sensei,” Kakashi just narrowed his one eye, “Please?”

Kakashi grumbled something and reached up to remove his forehead protector, keeping the Sharingan closed as he pulled it away and tilted his head forward.

“Thank you,” Iruka murmured absently, very aware of the Copy-nin and the ANBU watching him as he carefully scooted closer to Kakashi’s side, where he could see red staining silver hair. He took some antiseptic from the kit and started cleaning the small opening as carefully and efficiently as possible.

Iruka had just deemed it unnecessary to stitch the cut when Kakashi murmured suddenly, “You smell _really_ nice.”

Iruka paused in taping gauze over Kakashi’s wound and looked at the side of his head, “Uhm, I’m sorry?” Iruka meant, _I’m sorry, I must have misheard that. Could you repeat it more clearly?_

What Kakashi answered was, “Don’t be sorry, it’s an excellent smell. Matches your face. And the rest of you,” the man didn’t seem to realize he was starting to ramble, “You’re very attractive, and attractive people always smell good. I don’t know how that works, but I’m pretty sure it’s universally true.”

Iruka worriedly looked up at Cat kneeling at Kakashi’s other side. He was certain if he could see the ANBU’s face an eyebrow would be raised as Cat asked, “Kakashi how are you feeling?”

“Headache,” Kakashi said promptly, watching Iruka rummage in the med-kit, “And, um . . .”

“Kakashi?” Cat gently shook the Copy-nin’s shoulder when he didn’t continue, “What else?”

“Hm?” Kakashi hummed still watching Iruka.

“You said you weren’t feeling well?” Iruka prompted.

“Yeah, I hit my head,” Kakashi reached up and rubbed the back of his head.

“We got that,” Cat said evenly but Iruka swore the ANBU was holding back laughter as much as he was, “So, concussion then. I should get the med-nin. Watch him?” Cat pointed from Iruka to Kakashi.

Before Iruka could so much as nod, Kakashi’s head came up and his eye crinkled in a smile, “Oh, good idea.”

And then Iruka was almost flattened as the Copy-nin did a spot-on impression of Naruto’s signature tackle-hug.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Iruka hissed through a face-full of silver hair, “What are you – “

“My head hurts,” Kakashi said almost pitifully, wrapping his arms tighter around Iruka’s chest and making the Chunin’s heart gave a funny little thud. Then Kakashi looked up at him with one wide gray eye and asked hopefully, “Kiss it and make it better?”

Cat made something like a coughing noise and stood up abruptly.

Iruka felt his face heat for about a thousand reasons but, mostly because Kakashi was apparently a closet-cuddler and if that wasn’t the most adorable thing, Iruka didn’t know what was. And Iruka was way more tempted than he should be to take Kakashi up on that ridiculous offer.

Cat, whom Iruka momentarily forgot was there, gave another little cough and said, “Okay, you two seem to have this under control so I’ll just . . .” The ANBU trailed off and started to walk away, Iruka watching helplessly as Kakashi made a concerted effort to bury his face in Iruka’s neck.

“Mmm, you’re warm,” Kakashi sighed, “Did I mention you smell nice?”

“Yes,” Iruka answered miserably, “Yes, you did.”

“Hm, good,” Kakashi hummed, “Have I mentioned how much I love your scar?”

“That hasn’t come up,” Iruka said carefully. At this rate his face would just melt off. Iruka wondered if it was possible to blush to death. And if it was, why did it take so damn long?

 “Well, I do,” Kakashi said sincerely, “It’s very flattering to your face. I didn’t know a scar could do that to a face, but yours is so _adorable_.” Iruka swatted Kakashi’s hand away as the Jounin reached up and flicked his nose with one finger.

“Cut it out,” Iruka grumbled. How was he supposed get someone with head trauma to stop being cute? Also, they were starting to get looks from the group preparing to bed down for the night. Thankfully, the representative had already retired to his tent, but the other Chunin were periodically sneaking discreet glances at them.

“Fine,” Kakashi sighed tiredly and let his head relax back onto Iruka’s shoulder. Iruka was about to breathe a sigh of relief, hoping the man would just rest until Cat came back, when he felt something hot and wet slide up his neck followed by the scrape and nibble of teeth.

They got far less discreet looks when Iruka squawked unintelligibly and flung himself away from Kakashi like the Jounin had burned him.

Iruka didn’t get far though, because Kakashi was pretty damn strong and he held onto Iuka even though his arms slipped down to the Chunin’s waste. Iruka was pretty much being held upright by Kakashi’s death grip on him. Also, if it was possible, Iruka was even more mortified to realize the rest of Kakashi’s body was laying between Iruka’s legs.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Iruka whispered as disapprovingly as he could and looked down at the Jounin’s face (mask already back in place) now in the vicinity of his abdomen, “What – “

“I had to see if you taste as good as you smell,” Kakashi said innocently, chin pressed into Iruka’s flak vest as he stared up at him, “Don’t worry, you do.”

“I – you -,” Iruka sputtered for a moment. The others in their group were all pointedly looking away now.

“And you blush pretty,” Kakashi was basically in Iruka's lap and no amount of struggling on Iruka’s part was helping, “Brings out your eyes. And your scar. Can I taste that, too?”

“How are you _more_ of a pervert when you have head trauma?” Iruka finally stuttered while shoving Kakashi’s face away as the Copy-nin started forward for a second round supposedly.

“Oh, good, you’re both still alive,” Cat’s voice came from behind Iruka and the Chunin could have cried in relief, “And for the love of – Kakashi, get off of Iruka-sensei. I don’t feel like filing any more sexual harassment reports because of you.”

Iruka swore Kakashi pouted behind that mask as he finally, reluctantly released his hold. Iruka quickly decided to get off the ground and back away should Kakashi suddenly want to latch on again.

The med-nin Cat had gone to find looked like she was ready to burst, but professionally held her expression in nothing more than a polite smile as she looked Kakashi over.

While the healer was occupying Kakashi, Cat turned to Iruka, “Are you okay, Iruka-sensei?”

Iruka blinked, “Sure, why?”

“You keep rubbing your neck,” Cat pointed and Iruka realized that his hand was indeed still rubbing over the place Kakashi had licked him.

“Ah,” Iruka cleared his throat and laughed dismissively, “It’s nothing. Thank you for asking.” He let his arm drop just in case the ANBU didn’t believe him.

Cat watched him from behind that unnerving mask for another second before shrugging and letting the matter drop. Minutes later, the med-nin announced precisely what they suspected: a mild concussion.

“He just needs to rest in his tent for a few hours,” the healer said, “But I’d prefer someone wake him every so often to make sure he’s not getting worse. Whoever’s on watch tonight can –”

“Iruka can sleep with me,” Kakashi interrupted brightly.

Cat took a deep breath like he was about to say something and needed extra patience for it but Iruka beat him to it, “I was already scheduled to help with first watch.”

And, okay, maybe his mouth didn’t have the explicit permission of his brain to blurt that out, but that was no reason for Cat and the med-nin to look at him like that. Well, Iruka assumed Cat was looking at him funny.

Kakashi just looked like he might glomp-hug him again.

“Okay,” Cat said eventually, “That’s settled. I’ll take second. Kakashi, can you stand up? We should get you to your tent.”

“I can stand on my own,” Kakashi grumbled and did so, albeit shakily enough both Cat and Iruka grabbed an elbow.

Kakashi dropped of pretty quickly and Iruka settled into the tent beside him on his own bedroll with the instructions to wake him once every hour.

Several hours later, Cat opened the flap of the tent to trade off with Iruka. Thankfully, whoever was behind that ANBU mask was kind enough not to make a big deal about having to once again extract Kakashi from Iruka’s lap.

* * *

**A/N** : Not altogether happy with this chapter. Meh. But I think Closet-cuddler-Kakashi is my new favorite mini-headcanon.


	3. Drunk

**A/N:** Ok, so life happened and writing is slow-going right now. Maybe that’s why this one turned out a little more angsty . . . Apologies to anyone who started following this fic, you’re all awesome XD. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

By the third time, Iruka supposed they were friends. Or, that’s what he had to assume Kakashi-sensei was going for.

After his concussion, Kakashi’s apology broke down to, “I’m . . . _so_ sorry.”

To which Iruka couldn’t help but grin and say, “How about we just forget about it?”

“I already did,” Kakashi had mumbled and Iruka laughed. That’s when Kakashi gained a rather sheepish air and said, “So, Cat-san tells me I probably owe you a drink . . . or a hundred. When we get back to the village would you like to . . .?” His voice trailed off but Iruka smiled again, just happy the other man was talking to him, and agreed.

Iruka thought it would end with an apology drink and they would go back to casual acquaintances. But Kakashi, for whatever reason, kept seeking Iruka out.

“Iruka-sensei, Team Seven is getting dinner. Would you like to join?”

“There’s a nice place to have lunch near the Academy. Have you tried it?”

“You look a bit tired, Sensei, let me buy you a drink after work.”

And so on, until Iruka started to think Kakashi was either trying to befriend him or was fattening him up for some vague sacrificial ritual. If he was honest with himself, at the beginning Iruka might have been more inclined to believe the latter.

But Iruka kept agreeing because, apparently, he was completely hopeless.

And as he sat in yet another bar Kakashi had invited him to and watched the Copy-nin reluctantly participate in a drinking competition Gai had dragged him into, Iruka feared it was becoming obvious.

“Mad the Psycho Spandexed Beast stole your boyfriend?” Anko teased as she slid into the booth beside him.

“What?” Iruka startled a bit and tore his eyes away from Kakashi slouching next to a practically bouncing Gai to look at his smirking friend.

Anko grinned in a way that always foreshadowed a headache in Iruka’s near future, “Here you and the One-Eyed Wonder are, having a nice little date and then Gai barges in and – “

“Anko,” Iruka said in a warning tone, albeit quietly with another glance in Kakashi’s direction, “Don’t say things like that so loud.”

“Tch,” Anko rolled her eyes and snagged Iruka’s beer, “Calm down, Iruka, I’m just messing with you. You looked a little peeved, that’s all.” She took a sip of his drink and passed it back to him.

“Well, I’m not,” Iruka said shortly, taking a sip as well.

“Right,” Anko said in plain disbelief, “Of course not. How long have they been at it?” She gestured to the competing pair at the bar with her thumb.

“Half an hour,” Iruka answered, wondering if the crowd standing around Gai and Kakashi were placing bets or trying to sneak a look at the latter’s face as he drank. Probably both. “How long do these things normally last?” The two Jounin had already outdrank every other game Iruka had ever witnessed, shot glasses scattered across the bar between them.

“Between those two,” Anko’s eyes narrowed, considering, “It should end right about . . .” she trailed off as Gai started listing dangerously to one side of his stool . . . and promptly fell off with a loud _thud_ and several shouts from the observers, “Now.”

“Is Gai-sensei okay?” Iruka asked, eyes unconsciously skittering back to Kakashi still slouching all too casually, safely in his seat.

“He’ll be fine,” Anko sighed and stood, “I’ll do my public service and help Beasty Boy home. Or to a park bench, if I get tired on the way. I trust you can handle Hatake?” She smirked and cocked an eyebrow suggestively in Iruka’s direction.

Iruka decided to ignore that, and said, “It really doesn’t look like he needs it.”

“It never does,” Anko snickered.

“Then I guess I’m helping Kakashi-sensei home,” Iruka complied bemusedly, standing with her.

“He’ll be thrilled,” Anko said and scampered over to her self-proclaimed charge as the crowd dispersed. One other Jounin helped Anko gather Gai up off the floor. It was the most docile Iruka had ever seen the Green Beast, but then he was practically unconscious.

Anko and the other good Samaritan dragged Gai out the door and Iruka had no other choice but to make his way to Kakashi’s side.

After closer inspection, Iruka found that despite the Copy-nin’s typical posture, Kakashi was in much the same state as Gai, he just happened to stay sitting on the stool.

Iruka laughed when he realized this and shook the other man’s shoulder gently, “You plan to sleep on the bar then?”

Kakashi started a bit at the prodding, the fist holding up his head slipping, causing him to nearly topple off his stool. Iruka luckily foresaw this and steadied him, but not before three shurikan flew out of no where and thudded into the wood boards of the floor. Iruka blinked down at the weapons in confusion, then back up at Kakashi questioningly.

“Di’you see that?” Kakashi slurred as he wobbly tried to right himself.

“Your attempt to cause property damage?” Iruka asked with a glance back to the shurikan, keeping both hands on Kakashi’s shoulders for safe-keeping, “Yeah, that I saw.”

“Th’floor attacked me,” Kakashi whispered in explanation as he leaned into Iruka’s personal space, “It’tacked Gai, too, I saw it. Be careful, ‘ruka.”

“Don’t worry,” Iruka choked around suppressed laughter, “Between the two of us, I think we can handle the floor.”

“I dunno,” Kakashi said skeptically, “Was pretty qu- _hick_.” ‘Quick’ turned into a hiccup Kakashi looked openly surprised over, hand slapping over his masked mouth.

“Well, then we’d better get moving,” Iruka soothed as best he could through his clogged throat and pulled Kakashi’s arm over his shoulders, “C’mon, let’s get you home.” Kakashi stumbled on the way up, nearly felling them both, but Iruka steadied him until he - sort of - had his feet under him, “And no more weapons.”

“You’rso _nice_ , Iruka-sensei,” Kakashi slurred and leaned heavily into Iruka’s side, although seeming determined to keep his head in an awkward position so he could still see Iruka. It was more than the teacher could take, Kakashi craning his neck like a drunken owl with that goofy grin, so Iruka gave in and laughed.

This seemed to cheer Kakashi even more as he said, “An’ you have susha, a good laugh. Matches your beautiful smile.” Iruka’s laughter immediately died as Kakashi reached out with his free hand and tapped Iruka lightly on his bottom lip.

Iruka involuntarily flinched back at the touch and blinked up at the still grinning Copy-nin. Shaking himself, Iruka mumbled, “Um, thank you, Kakashi-sensei, I think you’re very . . . nice, too.”

Quickly beginning to move again, Iruka pulled Kakashi through the door of the bar, stopping as soon as it swung closed behind him. Iruka really didn’t want Kakashi to start drunkenly waxing poetic about his looks again, and vainly hoped the cool night air would help clear the other man’s head a bit. The streets were blessedly empty this late, so Iruka wouldn’t have to drag Kakashi through heavy traffic.

Kakashi didn’t say anything else except to chuckle and hum some little tune distractedly. As soon as they were on the street, however, Iruka was faced with a small problem. He realized he didn’t actually know where Kakashi lived.

“Um, Kakashi-sensei, can you – Wha – !” Iruka was startled by someone or something pulling steadily and insistently on his pony-tail, “What is – “ he jerked his head forward, throwing himself and Kakashi off balance, but the tugging only stopped when Kakashi suddenly shouted, “I got it!”

“You wha - ?” Iruka stumbled madly for a moment before reaching out and grabbing a luckily nearby lamp-post for support, Kakashi contributing nothing except happy little chuckles and at least an attempt to keep hold of Iruka. When Iruka found his feet again, he was somehow wearing Kakashi like a cape, the Copy-nin’s long arms draped over Iruka’s shoulders.

“Kakashi, what the hell?” Iruka said loudly, pausing when he felt his hair tickle his cheek and neck.

Kakashi chuckled again as he rested most of his weight on the Chunin’s back and held Iruka’s hair-tie up in front of his face, “I fine’ly got it.” The chuckles were almost a full-blown laughing fit by now.

Iruka blinked at the hair-tie for a moment before deciding that throttling at a drunk person was not only immature but incredibly pointless. Instead, he asked, “You almost made us both face plant because you wanted my hair-tie?”

“I’s an _evil_ hair-tie,” Kakashi answered, letting his arm drop along with his head, which landed on top of Iruka’s, “But i’s fine now, I freed the precious hair.” Then Kakashi’s nose was nuzzling into Iruka’s loose hair and the Chunin decided it was time to start moving again.

“Kakashi,” Iruka sighed in exasperation as he dislodged Kakashi by turning and readjusted his grip so the other man wasn’t a glorified back-pack (and farther out of hair-nuzzling range), “Just tell me your address so I can get you to bed – _Home_ , so I can get you _home_.”

As Kakashi was once more tucked into Iruka’s side, the teacher watched his one eye narrow at the ground in drunken concentration, “Uumm . . . three . . .”

“Three?” Iruka asked, feeling his amusement and annoyance bubble up again in equal amounts.

“There’s’a three in’t s’mwhere,” Kakashi mumbled at the sidewalk.

“Right,” Iruka decided, “My couch it is.”

“Sleepover?” Kakashi asked hopefully.

“In the dullest sense of the word, yes,” Iruka said firmly and started walking in the direction of his own apartment.

“Your hair looks a lot darker at night,” Kakashi replied.

Iruka didn’t stumble again, but it was a near thing, “Yes, well everything is a bit darker when the sun goes down.”

“When the sun’s out it looks diff’rent colors,” Kakashi continued.

Iruka took a deep breath and tried to walk faster with his shuffling charge, “Maybe we could talk about something other than my hair.”

“Why?” Kakashi’s head tilted curiously to one side, “It’so silky and shiny and . . . an’ _brown_.”

“No more talking about my hair,” Iruka said before Kakashi could get any farther.

“Can’I talk ‘bout your eyes?” Kakashi asked, “Those’re brown, too.”

“Not my eyes either,” Iruka said quickly, “Or anything else that has to do with my looks, okay? I don’t care how . . . pretty I am.”

Kakashi got very quiet for a minute and Iruka kept walking, wondering if he’d upset him despite the man being a pretty cheerful drunk so far. He doubted Kakashi would remember any of this, but he just couldn’t handle drunken compliments tonight, he just couldn’t.

It wasn’t like it meant anything anyway.

Iruka had made at least two more blocks in silent company, now grateful Kakashi had picked an establishment that was close to the residential area, when the Copy-nin moved.

In a display of dexterity and coordination Iruka honestly never thought anyone with Kakashi’s blood-alcohol content was capable of, Kakashi had twisted Iruka to face him and the Chunin suddenly found himself pinned against the brick wall of the nearest building.

“Hey, you – “ Iruka sputtered for a moment when a hand came up and cupped his cheek, effectively silencing him. Kakashi’s other had held both of Iruka’s wrists in a loose, easily breakable grip carefully cradled against the Copy-nin’s chest.

Iruka looked up and found Kakashi’s face very close to his and he knew he’d frozen like a deer in the lamplight, but he didn’t know what to do with the other man so suddenly _right there_.

And Kakashi just stared in concern at Iruka, one visible eye a little too focused and clear, “But I want you to know . . .” Kakashi said haltingly, as if trying to think clearly, carefully, “ . . . how beautiful you are . . . I don’t think you know . . .”

Kakashi’s head tilted forward, pressing his forehead gently to Iruka’s hitai-ate. Iruka didn’t know whether to panic and run or stay and see what happened. He suddenly couldn’t get words past his throat and his heart felt like it would hammer straight through his sternum and Kakashi’s hand felt too warm on his face . . .

“And you should know . . .” Kakashi said after a moment that felt like an hour, his eye slipping closed and he moved again like he would close the rest of the distance between them.

But then Iruka smelled the alcohol on his breath and felt the way Kakashi’s body sagged ever so slightly against him for support and whatever shock Iruka had been suffering from in that moment broke.

It seemed to surprise Kakashi when Iruka was able to break the hold on his wrists and easily push the caressing hand away from his face.

“C’mon, Kakashi-sensei,” Iruka said as evenly as he could and smiled up at a blinking Copy-nin, all while missing the sudden loss of Kakashi’s warmth, “It’s time you got some sleep.”

“Oh,” Kakashi said dumbly, unusually compliant as Iruka pulled his arm around his shoulder again so they could maneuver their way to Iruka’s apartment, “Okay, sure, ‘Ruka.”

“I’ll make you breakfast in the morning,” Iruka continued to keep Kakashi distracted.

“Br’fast?” Kakashi had apparently succumbed to the alcohol in his system again, and was back to happy-drunk-Jounin. Iruka decided he was grateful for it.

“Hm,” Iruka nodded, “A nice big breakfast. Involving lots of pots and pans with metal spoons. Perfect for a hangover.”

Kakashi’s eye crinkled into a smile, “Aw, you’re so nice Iruka.” His head came to rest again against Iruka’s tiredly.

“Let’s not start that again,” Iruka sighed quietly and turned down the street to his building.

Later, Kakashi was finally tucked into Iruka’s couch, a glass of water and some aspirin on the coffee table and a bucket nearby. Just in case. Iruka spared a thought for Gai, wondering if Anko had gotten half as far with him.

The Copy-nin had fallen asleep almost before Iruka even got in the door and had all but fallen onto the couch as Iruka let him down. Iruka had removed Kakashi’s sandals, flak jacket, and gloves but nothing else. Iruka waffled on the hitai-ate for a moment before deciding something as draining as the Sharingan was best left covered the morning after.

He didn’t even consider removing the mask. Nope, not even a little. He was above such things, damnit.

Iruka looked down at his impromptu charge when he thought Kakashi was as comfortable as he could be and had to pause. The sight of Kakashi curled up under a blanket asleep made Iruka smile even as he sighed. On impulse, he reached out and smoothed that wild hair out of Kakashi’s face.

The way Kakashi’s nose twitched in his sleep made Iruka smile ruefully, and whisper, “You know, I’ll miss this when you’re sober,” The smile melted away and Iruka withdrew his hand self-consciously, shaking his head, “Not that it matters, anyway.”

With one last look back, Iruka walked toward his bedroom and flipped off the lamp next to the couch, “Goodnight, Kakashi-sensei.”

* * *

 **A/N:** The pacing bugs me in this chapter, but I had to bite the bullet and post it already or it would just stay sitting on my computer, incomplete. Constructive criticism more than welcome :P Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoyed!


	4. +1 Sick

**A/N** : I’ll spare you the excuses as to why this is so late (although they are good excuses, let me tell you) and just get straight to the chapter.

* * *

Iruka felt like crap.

Of all the hazards of nurturing the next generation of deadly assassins, flu season had been one Iruka had never anticipated in its entirety. Nevertheless, Autumn was in the air and so was every air-born contaminant known to mankind. Iruka’s classroom, along with the rest of the school, was officially a glorified Petri dish with nearly two-thirds of his students and teachers out sick and whoever was left combatting the invisible enemy with unhealthy amounts of preventative medicine and disinfectants alike.

Iruka was no different and had been progressing as best he could on the antibiotics the doctor at the hospital had prescribed him. Said doctor may have also prescribed taking “a week off and don’t overdo it” but a school didn’t run itself, damnit.

And yet, here he was. Holing himself up in his apartment the day after assigning a substitute so he could wait out the flu from hell. Iruka was stubborn but he wasn’t _suicidal_. He could admit defeat gracefully. Underneath a pile of blankets, empty tea mugs, and used tissues. As was custom in these cases.

Iruka felt a little guilty at being grateful for Naruto’s absence that week. Naruto and the rest of Team Seven had been on a dull but lengthy mission outside the village, meaning at least Iruka didn’t have to suffer through Naruto’s attempts at TLC. He knew the boy meant well and Iruka loved him for that, but . . . Naruto’s talents lay someplace other than hospice care, was all.

Not that Iruka _needed_ anyone to look out for him in the first place, thankyouverymuch.

But of course, the universe thought Iruka suffering in silence was too novel an idea so that morning (afternoon? Iruka’s sleeping patterns had been a bit erratic for the past twenty-four hours) he was gently awoken by an incessant banging on his door.

Groggily, Iruka registered the knocking and blinked his eyes open with a groan, “What . . . ?”

The knocking continued urgently so Iruka figured whoever it was wasn’t giving up anytime soon. He started extracting himself from his couch where he didn’t remember falling asleep and dragged one of the many blankets with him toward the door while his visitor renewed the knocking with an added, “Iruka?”

“What?” Iruka asked his apartment in general and stumbled to the door. He coughed and covered his mouth and nose with the blanket because he was sort of so far beyond caring about tissues or anything more than _stop the knocking_.

The knocker had gone from knocking to jiggling the doorknob, which was locked, calling, “Iruka, are you alive in there?” when Iruka finally wrenched open the door (unlocking it first. It took a couple tries, it was blurry and his head hurt).

“ _What?_ ” Iruka rasped at . . . “Kakashi-sensei?” The blanket was still up around his face so it was muffled.

“Ah, there you are, Sensei,” Kakashi replied, eye-smiling down at Iruka over the blue scarf hugging his neck and chin, “How are you?”

“Hmn,” Iruka replied articulately and coughed into his blanket again, saying into it, “What’re you doing here?”

“I went to see you at the school but they said you were out sick so, I . . . Are you okay?” Kakashi asked suddenly, eye-smile turning to a look of concern.

Iruka started when Kakashi’s hand landed on his shoulder, “Hm, wha - ?”

“You’re swaying,” Kakashi explained.

“Oh,” Iruka shook his head, “Sorry, didn’t mean to.”

Kakashi paused again.

Then he gave a little _hmm_ and reached out to take Iruka’s elbow, “Let’s just go back inside before the cold gets to you. C’mon,” Kakashi urged Iruka back into the apartment and shut the door to the fall chill.

“M’not a baby,” Iruka pouted, but allowed himself to be led back into the apartment, clutching his precious blanket closer.

“Maa, of course not,” Kakashi said cheerfully as he shut the door behind them, “I’m just – Damn, it’s a sauna in here.” He started to pull the scarf off, which was a bit disappointing because it was rather cute up around his nose like that. Iruka quickly shook himself.

“I’was cold,” Iruka explained helpfully, shivering under his blanket.

Kakashi looked at him with something like amusement and Iruka pouted harder. The Jounin seemed to swallow at that, clearing his throat and saying, “I brought soup as a peace offering.” Kakashi held up a plastic, lidded bowl with something sloshing around inside.

Iruka sniffled, a little embarrassed at his irritability now, “That was . . . kind of you, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Well, really it’s from a can,” Kakashi confessed with a shrug, “But I heated it up.”

“Sorry, but, why are you here?” Iruka asked, suddenly remembering the tissue-strewn mess just visible on his couch and the rest of his house, “If you’re only here to check on me, I’m fine – “

“Maa, Sensei,” Kakashi interrupted and reached down to remove his shoes, “Nonsense, I’m here to care for a comrade.”

“I – what?” Iruka felt his face begin to heat as Kakashi set the soup aside somewhere and took both his arms and they moved back into his living room.

“You poor thing,” Kakashi said cajolingly as Iruka acquiesced unsteadily, “All alone in your suffering.”

Kakashi was moving and talking too quickly for Iruka’s addled brain to keep up, “You – I’m fine, really – “

Kakashi sat him down on his couch-blanket-nest, undeterred by the scattered tissues and tea mugs, and cupped Iruka’s cheek with one gloved hand, effectively silencing Iruka.

“You’ve got quite the fever, Iruka,” Kakashi said gently and Iruka hoped the color rising to his cheeks could be blamed on just that. Despite his prognosis, Kakashi’s hand stayed where it was even as he asked, “Have you taken anything?”

Iruka had to peel his attention away from the cool hand cradling his too warm cheek to look up at Kakashi’s one visible eye and nod, pointing to the cluttered side-table, “The hospital gave me something.”

Kakashi’s hand left his cheek to reach for the bottle and Iruka felt bereft. The Jounin brought the bottle in front of him and asked, “When did you last take some?”

Iruka blinked at the little bottle, thinking, “Uhm . . .”

“Right,” Kakashi murmured and immediately began measuring a dose.

“It makes me sleepy,” Iruka protested weakly. He wasn’t sure how falling asleep in front of Kakashi could be any more embarrassing than stumbling around awake and sick, but he felt it would at least be rude. The man came all the way there with soup after all.

“You don’t trust me not to draw a mustache on you if you fall asleep?” Kakashi teased and handed Iruka the dose.

“I trust you,” Iruka murmured into the little plastic cup and downed it in one gulp. When he handed it back to Kakashi, the Jounin was looking back with an odd expression in that one eye.

“Good,” Kakashi said quietly, and grabbed Iruka’s arms again, coaxing him to stand, “Let’s get you to bed. The couch is no place for the ill.”

Iruka blamed the fever for making him take liberties and leaned into Kakashi’s warm side. He’d been chilled so long the body-heat felt good, “Okay, Kakashi.”

He was asleep before he registered Kakashi tucking the blankets around him.

* * *

Iruka couldn’t get warm. The snow and wind all around him seeped through his sleeping bag with a vengeance and no matter how far he buried himself, he couldn’t escape.

“Iruka?” A voice he knew spoke under the storm, very near, “Iruka, what’s wrong?”

Iruka realized he was whimpering pitifully and cracked an eye open to make out the blurry image of Kakashi. Relief washed over him.

“’m cold,” Iruka croaked and reached out a weak arm, “Help.”

Kakashi blinked in surprise when Iruka’s hand found purchase on the front of his shirt, “I’ll get you another blanket.”

“No,” Iruka protested, trying to articulate his reasoning, “Jus’ get in.” He tugged on Kakashi’s shirt, wondering why he was without his blue scarf in all this cold.

“Get – what?” Kakashi asked, grabbing Iruka’s hand to still it.

“Get in,” Iruka nearly whined. Honestly, had Kakashi never been on a cold enough mission to warrant this sort of thing? It was Survival 101.

Kakashi still seemed to hesitate though so Iruka tried once more, “Please, K’kashi?”

Kakashi swallowed rather heavily before sighing, “Alright, but you are _not_ allowed to mad at me later.”

Iruka nodded in relief and scooted over a bit to make room for the other man. For some reason Kakashi only climbed on top of the blankets. Maybe he wasn’t as cold as Iruka felt. That didn’t stop the Chunin from curling into Kakashi’s side and wrapping an arm around him, “Thank you, K’kashi.”

Tentatively, as Iruka dropped back off to sleep, Kakashi’s warm hand rested over his, “Of course, Iruka.”

* * *

When Iruka woke next he was significantly warmer than he had been for the past week.

And he found that odd.

Especially when he realized that the warmth was emanating from a very specific source in his bed and that source was breathing.

Iruka’s head spun a bit when he jerked it up to see Kakashi-sensei dozing, back resting against Iruka’s headboard. He woke with a small jump at the strangled noise that Iruka meant to be a much more articulate response to the situation.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Kakashi said lightly, rubbing his face that Iruka finally registered was missing one very important, usually quite prominent mask, and frankly it was a wonder Iruka’s next words weren’t a garbled mess as well.

“What?” Iruka squeaked and sat up more fully, the blankets tugging where Kakashi sat on top of them. And, okay, that wasn’t much better, but it was an actual word.

“Ah,” Kakashi rubbed his chin and smiled sheepishly, “You had a bit of a rough night, Sensei. That fever is nasty business.”

Iruka blinked up at Kakashi in confusion and finally dragged his eyes away to look around the rest of the room. He still felt sluggish and cloudy, but he took in the bowl of water on the bedside table, rag draped over the side, and the bottle of medicine next to it. A glass of water was almost completely drained and Iruka wondered which of them drank it because he couldn’t recall much after Kakashi came to visit.

He sniffled and looked back at Kakashi, “You stayed here all night?”

Kakashi shrugged a little awkwardly, “I didn’t want to leave you alone – “

“In my bed?” Iruka asked somewhat accusatory.

Kakashi paused almost guiltily and said, “Well, you were having some weird fever-dream and you wouldn’t let me leave.”

Iruka huffed, “That’s ridiculous.” Yeah, he’d had some weird dreams, but he wasn’t prone to talking in his sleep or . . . wait . . .

“I’m serious!” Kakashi was defending himself, “You asked me to stay because you thought we were on some mission in Snow Country and we had to huddle to stay warm or something. And every time I tried to leave to get something you’d follow me or scold me for not wearing my scarf – “

“Oh,” Iruka could only remember in the vaguest sense, but some of what Kakashi said sounded horribly familiar, “Oh, dear. Your serious.”

“Very,” Kakashi went from defensive to amused at Iruka’s horrified expression, chuckling, “You were pretty insistent that we both stay warm in the tent up until your fever finally broke earlier.”

Iruka covered his face and groaned. Kakashi laughed and it sounded a bit relieved.

“I’m so sorry,” Iruka mumbled into his hands, “You shouldn’t have had to do that.”

Iruka felt Kakashi shift on the bed, but refused to look up, “You _were_ cold.”

At that, Iruka did look up, “I was out of my mind, Kakashi.”

The Jounin shrugged again, “You asked me to.”

“But you didn’t have to – “

“I’d do anything for you, Iruka,” Kakashi said quietly.

Iruka felt his mouth close on whatever he had planned to say as he did a double-take. Kakashi’s smile was sincere and nervous and hopeful all at the same time and it absolutely mystified Iruka.

“I don’t – “ Iruka shook his head to try and clear it, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Kakashi’s head cocked in that curious way it did when he was trying to figure something out, “You know, I feel like I’ve been more then obvious as of late, Sensei.”

“Spell it out for me then,” Iruka replied stubbornly. He was in no mood for games, especially for something he would never dare hope for. And he was sick to boot, this was no time for guessing games.

Kakashi’s mouth twitch into a grin at Iruka’s tone and he shifted again, tucking a foot underneath himself so he leaned closer to Iruka, “Alright, Sensei, have it your way,” he paused to meet Iruka’s wary gaze and said clearly, “I like you, Iruka, quite a lot. Enough, in fact, to sit at your bedside and fill ridiculous requests just to make you feel better . . . Including _spelling it out_ for you.” He ended on a teasing note but the way he pursed his lips seemed unsure.

Iruka felt a blush rise to his face and he looked away, trying not to grin, “I see.”

A silence stretched out between them in which Iruka couldn’t think of what to say and no amount of mental scrambling was helping to come up with anything appropriate. And Kakashi, for all his practiced coolness, finally became really and truly flustered.

“Okay, uhm,” Kakashi cleared his throat, hand gesticulating uncharacteristically anxious, “If you could give me a little more than that, I kinda just laid a lot out there, for me, I mean. I don’t exactly make a habit of this sort of – “

“I like you quite a bit, too,” Iruka interrupted, still looking down at his bedspread but not bothering to hide his smile, “But I thought I was the one being obvious.” Kakashi’s hand dropped and his mouth closed on his rambling as Iruka furtively met his eyes.

“I assure you, Sensei,” Kakashi intoned after a beat as he inched closer to Iruka, “You are a locked safe.”

Iruka chuckled, causing a small coughing fit in which Kakashi held his shoulders steady.

“Thank you,” Iruka rasped when he’d finished, looking up to see Kakashi right next to him.

“No problem,” Kakashi said warmly, hands still holding tight.

Kakashi was staring at him and Iruka was about to comment on that when something else struck him, “Not that I’m complaining, but where’s your mask?”

“I’ve been in _several_ compromising situations with you, Iruka,” Kakashi said bluntly, “I feel like I can trust you not to snap a picture of me and sell it to the highest bidder. And it’s uncomfortable to wear to sleep, I try to only do that on missions.”

Iruka chuckled, teasing, “Well, wait, about how much would that picture go for?”

Kakashi narrowed his eye, pulling Iruka closer to his chest, “Maa, Sensei, can’t I trust you?”

“Of course, Kakashi,” Iruka sniffled and ducked his head. With Kakashi this close he remembered he was wearing the same sweats he’d been wearing for going on three days and he hadn’t showered yesterday and his breath was probably _awful_ . . .

Iruka pulled away from Kakashi’s hold, “Um, sorry, but I should probably clean up, I-I’m a mess.”

Kakashi huffed and held tight, “You’re the cutest sick person ever, Iruka, stop squirming.”

“No one’s cute when they’re sick,” Iruka protested.

“You are,” Kakashi insisted, “And I want to kiss you.”

Iruka stopped and looked up at his captor/care-giver, “No, I’m disgusting and I’ll get you sick – “

“You’re beautiful,” Kakashi said and went about proving it by pressing his mouth firmly against Iruka’s. It wasn’t invasive or presumptuous, just a wonderfully warm kiss that Iruka didn’t realize he’d been craving so badly.

When Kakashi pulled back Iruka could only stare wide-eyed as he said, “And I’ve had all my shots, Sensei.”

Iruka ducked his head, blushing against Kakashi’s chest, “You’re quite handsome yourself, you ridiculous idiot.”

“I know, you told me several times last night,” Kakashi said matter-of-factly and Iruka almost rammed his chin when his head snapped back up.

“ _What_?” Iruka croaked.

“Well, you got very happy the first time I took off the mask,” Kakashi said, grinning, “And apparently I look absolutely _adorable_ all snoodled up in my scarf. That’s almost an exact quote.”

“ _Stop_ ,” Iruka pleaded, hiding his face in his hands again, feeling Kakashi’s laughter in the Jounin’s chest.

He felt Kakashi kiss the top of his loose hair (Ugh, when was the last time he showered?) and heard him say quietly, “Well, we’re even now.”

Iruka chuckled, “I suppose that’s good. Let me go, I want a shower.” Kakashi’s mouth opened and Iruka headed him off, “No, you can’t help.”

“Scandalous, Sensei,” Kakashi put on an affronted look, “I was only going to ask if you wanted some soup.”

Iruka didn’t believe that for a second.

* * *

 **A/N** : The world was against me writing this chapter, I swear. Case in point, I am IRL sick at the time of writing this. And that’s like the tenth thing that went wrong while putting this together.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed! This chap is nothing like I originally imagined it, but none of the original drafts wanted to work. Maybe I’ll publish one of those as a different one-shot. Eh.

Thanks for your patience!


	5. Bonus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi's POV

**A/N:** Enough people wanted this (mainly me) that I felt justified in writing it XD. I hope you enjoy.

**Poison:**

After coming to terms with the fact that he - Kakashi of the Sharingan, legendary Copy-ninja, tenured ANBU captain - had been _accidentally_ poisoned by a fresh-out-of-the-Academy Genin, he decided it was time to track down one unfortunately helpful Chunin.

He’d had to reassure Sakura and the boys about a hundred times that, “Really, I’m fine. No, I’m not mad. And yes, Naruto, I’m sure they’d give you a new Jounin-sensei even if you manage to kill the first one. Don’t get any ideas,” but finally got enough information to track Umino Iruka down at the school.

Thus, he was wandering through the Academy halls, peeking into classrooms, searching for a face he remembered only in a surreal sense. He was just thinking he should probably ask someone where Umino was when a bell rang out, classroom doors opened, and students poured out in droves for lunch. A few teachers shouted last minute instructions, but Kakashi thought it a futile effort considering the students’ excitement to escape.

 Eventually, the children trickled down to only a few stragglers and Kakashi began looking for someone to speak to when one of the little ones piped up, “Thank you, Iruka-sensei!”

Kakashi turned at the name, watching the little girl shoulder her bag and hurry out from the direction of a classroom farther down the hall. Kakashi retraced her steps to the open door, where at a desk sat his target.

And Kakashi stopped.

The image in his head (the drugged up one) had been a bit hampered what with all the sparkles and slight blurring of everything, but the Umino Iruka from his memory was still a very nice image. And yet it had nothing on the real thing sitting unassumingly at the teacher’s desk, warm sunlight from the open window dancing over the desk-top. Maybe he should have asked someone first. They might have provided a warning.

Mentally shaking himself, Kakashi removed a hand from his pocket to tap on the doorframe, asking, “Umino-sensei?” Because some miracles need to be confirmed.

Umino looked up from a stack of test-books, blinking wide brown eyes at the sight of the Jounin, “Oh, Kakashi-sensei. I wasn’t expecting you. How are you feeling?”

And then the reason he was there came crashing back to Kakashi and he fought the urge to visibly cringe, “Fine, just . . . fine. I was stopping by to say thank you, actually.”

“Oh, sure,” Umino said with surprised smile, “It was no trouble.”

“And to apologize,” Kakashi went on reluctantly, “For, you know . . . things . . . I said.” And for getting poisoned by a Genin, because his life had a really twisted sense of humor when it wasn’t busy kicking his ass.

The smile was in danger of turning into a grin before Umino bit a full bottom lip, “It’s fine, really.” Kakashi was torn between being embarrassed and staring as a pink flush stole across the Chunin’s tan cheeks. Across that unusually cute scar.

Embarrassment must have won out in his expression because the Chunin’s smile turned knowing as he said slowly, “You know, my first week here,” he waved a pen at the classroom in general, “I was in charge of target practice and nearly lost an ear to one of the less practiced students.”

Kakashi felt his head tilt in curiosity, “Oh?” Both Umino’s ears looked perfectly fine to him.

“My hair got the worst of it,” Umino pointed to his pony-tail using his pen again, “Luckily. Kids are unpredictable that way.”

Kakashi realized the teacher’s aim was to make him feel better and was a little surprised to find it was working. He felt his own face heat as he laughed and reached up to rub the back of his neck, “That does seem to be the case.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Umino said assuredly, returning his attention to the books on his desk, “The kids adore you, so the hard part is done.”

“Hm,” Kakashi watched a few strands of hair that had escaped from their holder fall over the Chunin’s hitai-ate and idly speculated as to how long that hair might be when let down, “Well, Umino-sensei, I should go – “

“Iruka,” the Chunin interrupted, looking up again a little shyly this time.

Kakashi smiled under his mask and hoped it showed, “Iruka-sensei. That’s all I wanted to say, so I’ll leave you alone. Thank you, again.”

“Sure,” Iruka waved his pen, “See you around.”

As Kakashi reluctantly walked out he kind of hoped that they would.

* * *

**Concussed:**

Kakashi woke up in his bedroll to a pounding head and the sight of tent canvas above him, which was disconcerting because he didn’t recall climbing into the tent or the bedroll or getting hit by a lunatic cart driver at any point.

Luckily, when he looked to his right he saw a familiar presence who might be willing to provide some context, “Tenzou?”

“I’ve asked you not to call me that in the field,” Tenzou said and pushed the Cat mask up so Kakashi could see his face, “Nice to see you coherent again.”

“’Coherent’ is a bit optimistic, but sure,” Kakashi grumbled, “What happened?”

“You were concussed,” Tenzou explained and held out a canteen and a packet of painkillers that Kakashi took gratefully, “And its moments like these that I wish I was allowed to bring a camera on certain missions.”

“Oh, gods,” Kakashi shuddered, remembering the last time he’d been somewhat impaired, “What’d I do?”

Tenzou laughed at his mock-horrified expression, “Nothing too bad until poor Iruka-sensei decided to help. For the record: both he and I are traumatized.”

“Wait,” Kakashi froze in fixing his forehead protector, “Iruka was there?” _Again?_

Tenzou shrugged reluctantly, “Yeah . . . he offered to sit with you while I found the medic.”

“ _And you let him?_ ” Kakashi practically screeched.

“Trust me,” Tenzou replied sincerely, holding up a hand, “I’m just as disappointed in that decision as you are.”

Kakashi’s mouth gaped for a second before he let his aching head drop into his hand, “Just . . . tell me what the damage is.”

Tenzou suddenly seemed very interested in the floor of the tent as he explained, “Well, I didn’t see the whole thing, but before I left you informed him he smelled nice, that you think he’s attractive, pounced on him, and by the time I got back you were in his lap, trying to molest his face. To summarize.”

There was a long pause before Kakashi said into his hand, “Okay, when you get back to the village tell the Hokage that it’s been a good run and all, but I’m defecting to Suna, effective immediately.”

“I don’t know what you’re being dramatic for. I’m the one who can _never_ un-see that,” Tenzou grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand like he could scrub the image away.

“Granted it’s basically a desert waste-land,” Kakashi went on as though Tenzou hadn’t spoken, “But I’ll plant a tree. It could be homey.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Tenzou chuckled but turned serious eyes on his mentor who finally looked up, “As fun as it is to watch you pine like a fourteen-year-old, you know you could just ask him for a drink or something? That’s an option.”

“Oh, is it?” Kakashi asked sarcastically, “Thank you, oh wise kohai, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Well, you certainly haven’t _done it_ ,” Tenzou replied defensively, “I don’t know _why_.”

“We barely know each other,” Kakashi tried half-heartedly.

“That’s what the drink is for,” Tenzou returned.

“I doubt he’d welcome the offer,” Kakashi said, annoyed, “Especially after this.”

“Right, because someone who doesn’t want to be around you usually volunteers to sit at your bedside for hours to make sure you don’t stop breathing because of head trauma,” Tenzou said, watching his mentor’s interest pique ever so slightly.

“He volunteered?” Kakashi asked in surprise.

“Rather quickly,” Tenzou assured him, “I mean, he may have regretted it later, since you ended up in his lap again – “

“ _What_?” Kakashi whispered almost to himself in disbelief.

“ – So, really you kind of owe him, anyway,” Tenzou finished sheepishly, “And I doubt he’s the type to hold it against you. He didn’t the first time.”

“I never should’ve told you about that,” Kakashi grumbled as Tenzou laughed.

“So,” Tenzou prompted, “What are you gonna do?”

“Ignore it and hope it goes away, obviously,” Kakashi answered quickly.

“Okay, now let’s pretend you’re an adult,” Tenzou countered.

“You know I hate that game,” Kakashi shuffled out of his bedroll and searched around for his flak jacket, “Of course, I’ll talk to him and apologize. But I guarantee nothing beyond that.”

“I suppose that’s the best I can hope for,” Tenzou lamented with a sigh and pulled his mask down, ready to leave for his rounds.

Later, Kakashi did find Iruka and apologized, the Chunin reddening and laughing it off kindly. Relieved, the Copy-nin had planned to leave it at that, he really had, even turning to leave the unsuspecting teacher alone for the rest of the day.

Somehow, at the last second, he found himself turning back and asking for that drink. He almost thought he was still unconscious when Iruka smiled and said yes.

* * *

**Drunk:**

Kakashi woke to a headache again, but this time someone was actively trying to take revenge for some horrible crime he’d committed at some point. Somewhere something metal clanged against something made of louder metal and Kakashi shot up, immediately regretting that as the pain in his head spiked and he shrank back to the couch under him.

“Oh, gods,” Kakashi groaned into the pillow, “I’m gonna murder Gai.” He curled into the fetal position, clutched his head, and did his best not to ruin the carpet.

“Technically, you’re the one who accepted the challenge,” a horrifyingly familiar voice chuckled, followed by a spoon clattering in the sink.

Kakashi’s eyes shot open, despite the light trying to bore through his brain. _No. Please, no._

“Iruka?” Kakashi tried tentatively.

“Yes?” Iruka responded cheerfully.

“Of course,” Kakashi whispered. _I will_ murder _Gai. Slowly._ Out loud he said, “I . . . am so sorry.”

 A laugh sounded and the noise hurt, but Kakashi couldn’t bring himself to be mad. He did groan when Iruka let one last pan hit the stove, covering his head with the blanket.

“Sorry,” Iruka said quietly just above him after a moment, “I had to have a little payback. Can you sit up?”

“No,” Kakashi moaned, pulling the pillow over his head for good measure.

Iruka ignored him and pulled the bedding away, “Sit up long enough to take something.”

Kakashi reluctantly obeyed, if only for the promise of aspirin, his stomach rolling. Once the room stopped spinning he opened his uncovered eye to see Iruka perched on the back of the couch.

“Good morning,” the Chunin chirped a little too happily.

“Stop enjoying this,” Kakashi asked and took the two aspirin and glass of water Iruka held out, ignoring his grin, “Did I attack the floor last night?”

“In your defense, the floor apparently started it,” Iruka answered, watching Kakashi down the painkillers.

“And the dancing, was that real?” Kakashi held the cool glass to his temple.

“That . . . must have been in your head,” Iruka said thoughtfully, “Unless you’re thinking of nearly knocking us into the street, then sure.”

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi repeated to which Iruka grinned.

“I know, you can stop apologizing,” Iruka was steadily smiling, so Kakashi took that as a good sign, “Do you want breakfast?”

“Do you want to clean your floors?” Kakashi asked.

“Never mind,” Iruka chuckled, “Maybe later.” He slid off the back of the couch and went back to his cooking, mercifully quieter, calling softly over his shoulder, “Feel free to use the bathroom to wash-up. I put clean towels in there for you.”

Kakashi smiled a little, because that was just the sort of thing Iruka would do after being put out by a drunk friend crashing on his couch, “Thanks, Sensei.”

When he emerged from the bathroom minutes later, Kakashi felt a little more human and, if possible, a little more ashamed of his actions. And buying Iruka an apology drink just didn’t seem like enough in this instance.

As he walked back through Iruka’s apartment toward the kitchen, passed the couch, Kakashi paused. The blankets on the couch had been folded, the pillows stacked on top. His flak jacket, gloves, and shoes had also been set out neatly. Kakashi cringed again, deciding he should just buy Iruka a damn house at this rate.

Shaking himself, Kakashi walked into the kitchen slowly, quietly watching Iruka cook. The Chunin wasn’t in uniform, still in an old t-shirt he’d probably slept in and loose pants. Unfortunately, his hair had found its way back into that accursed pony-tail, but Kakashi still smiled under his mask at the sight.

Iruka finally noticed the other presence and turned away from the pancakes he was flipping to look at Kakashi in confusion, “You okay?”

“Hm,” Kakashi nodded, “Just trying to decide if I can risk breakfast or not.”

Iruka cocked an eyebrow, “You’re eating. You’ll only feel worse if you don’t.”

Kakashi eye-smiled, “Yes, Sensei.” He sat down obediently at the table and let Iruka pile a plate with more food than he normally ate in whole day.

“And don’t inhale it like you do at the ramen stand,” Iruka ordered with a stern-teacher glare, “I’m not a Genin, I won’t look.” As if to prove it, he turned back to the stove to finish up determinedly.

Kakashi laughed, even though it made his headache flare up, “Yes, Sensei.” And he did pull his mask down after a moment’s hesitation, for some reason feeling silly for the secrecy in front of Iruka. The man had plenty of chances up till now to sneak a peak and hadn’t. After being black-out drunk in front of the Chunin the mask just felt . . . pointless, somehow.

As Kakashi dug in (slowly, in deference to his abused stomach) Iruka puttered around his kitchen, eventually asking, “You sure you’re okay? I think you and Gai set some sort of record last night.”

“I’m fine, really,” Kakashi assured him with his mouth full. Realizing that was rude, no matter how good the food was, he swallowed before he continued, “It’s just been a while since I drank that much.”

“You don’t strike me as much of a drinker,” Iruka said as he moved to the sink to scrub out a pan.

Kakashi looked up at that, curious, “How do you mean?”

Iruka laughed a little self-consciously, “I just mean . . . well, no offense, but you’re kind of a control freak.”

Kakashi paused with a forkful of pancake half-way to his mouth, “A control freak?”

He watched Iruka shrug his shoulders with another laugh, “Yeah, a control freak, that’s exactly what you are. I figured you didn’t do any hard drinking because then you’d have to give some of that up.”

Kakashi stared at the back of Iruka’s head, a bemused smile on his face and his fork suspended and midair, unsure what to think of that. Because, yes, he supposed he was but he also thought he was little better at hiding it than that. After a moment he said, “Never heard it put that way before.”

“Sorry,” Iruka said, half-turning so Kakashi could see his profile, but Iruka still couldn’t see him, “I didn’t mean to – “

“I suppose I was just in exceptionally good company last night,” Kakashi interrupted before Iruka got any insane ideas about apologizing for anything, ever.

He saw Iruka twitch like he was about to turn fully, catch himself, and abruptly turn back to the sink to pick up another bowl, “Oh?”

Kakashi pulled his mask back up and stood to go over to the sink, leaning his hip on the counter. Iruka looked up as Kakashi said, “Yeah . . . Only drink with friends, right?” He mentally kicked himself for chickening out at the last second, but in retrospect hang-overs weren’t ideal for confessions.

Iruka looked back down and smiled, a little pink rising to his face, “Right.”

Kakashi reached and pulled the bowl out of the brunette’s hand, silently picking up a towel to dry. And then maybe the aspirin kicked in more fully, but Kakashi suddenly noticed his wrist. Specifically, the elastic band around it that he had no idea how it got there.

“Uhm, Iruka, what . . . “ Kakashi trailed off and held his arm up.

Iruka looked and realization dawned in his eyes, “Oh, ah yeah, I’m going to need that back.”

* * *

**+1 Sick:**

Kakashi herded Team seven into the Mission Room the morning they got back from their latest D-rank and immediately noticed something unusual.

Iruka was not at his desk.

It wasn’t like Kakashi had memorized Iruka’s schedule or anything – a schedule that the Chunin would normally rather chew off his own arm than divert from – but he just happened to know that he had classes later, so perhaps it was just a case of Iruka needing to be at the school early. So, after watching Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke run off to their own homes and/or ramen stands, Kakashi made his way to the Academy.

The loud, chaotic, flu-ridden Academy.

Upon entering Kakashi could pretty much deduce why Iruka was MIA.

“Iruka-sensei has been out sick for a few days already,” said the frazzled Kunoichi Kakashi had stopped in the hall to ask. In between shouting at unruly children, of course. “The lucky bastard.”

Kakashi thanked her and body-flickered out of there before she had the chance to ask for help. Normally, he would have at least offered a half-assed excuse but had other Academy Sensei’s to assist at the moment.

Kakashi tried to be casual about, he didn’t run immediately to Iruka’s door, instead making a detour to his apartment to pick up whatever it is sick people need. Unfortunately, his home wasn’t exactly stocked with much of anything except soup. He figured that was good enough. He even heated it up in the microwave before _very casually_ roof-jumping all the way to Iruka’s apartment building.

He knocked after a moment in front of Iruka’s door getting his breathing back to a normal and waited. When no answer came Kakashi rapped again. Still nothing.

“Okay,” Kakashi mumbled to himself and tried again, wondering if there was a friend Iruka might be staying with before calling, “Iruka?” He jiggled the knob, purely out of concern of course, “Iruka, are you alive in there?”

Finally, he heard motion on the other side of the door, felt the knob turn and let go just as the door flung open to reveal . . . literally the cutest thing Kakashi had ever seen in his life.

“ _What?”_ Iruka rasped as he opened the door, bundled in a blanket up to his nose, hair sticking up on one side like he’d just woken up, face flushed, “ . . . Oh, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Ah, there you are,” Kakashi had to keep from cooing at the muffled sound of Iruka’s voice under the blanket, the bleary, sleepy look in his eyes, “How are you?” As if he couldn’t see for himself.

“What’re you doing here?” Iruka grumbled after coughing into his blanket. It didn’t sound good.

“I went to see you at the school but they said you were out sick so, I . . . Are you okay?” Kakashi asked, his face falling into a frown. Iruka’s eyes were closing and he seemed to slowly sway to one side.

Kakashi’s question seemed to snap Iruka out of it, the Chunin jolting and apologizing. It was adorable, frankly, but Kakashi figured he had better get him back inside. He could feel the fall chill seeping through his clothes.

“’m not a baby,” Iruka pouted as Kakashi crowded him back through the door of his apartment, closing it behind them.

“Of course not,” Kakashi soothed and just barely stopped himself from snuggling the grumpy little Chunin, “I’m just – Damn, it’s a sauna in here.” The heat hit Kakashi like a wall. He reached up and loosened his scarf, looking to Iruka for explanation only to catch the other man staring at him oddly.

“I’was cold,” Iruka mumbled and Kakashi smiled under his mask, holding up the soup in response to the teacher’s shiver. Iruka blinked owlishly up at him, “That was . . . kind of you, Kakashi-sensei.”

“Well, really it’s from a can,” Kakashi confessed shrugging off his embarrassment, “But I heated it up.”

He saw Iruka’s eyes flit to the living area of his home before he asked uncertainly, “Um, sorry, but why are you here again? If it was just to check on me, I’m fine – “

Kakashi had his shoes off before Iruka even finished that ridiculous sentence, “Here to care for a comrade, Sensei.” Iruka started sputtering as Kakashi put an arm around him in order to lead him back to the obvious nest on the couch. He knelt in front of the teacher when he had him sitting again, looking up into his flushed face, cupping a too-warm cheek in his hand, “You have quite the fever, Iruka. Have you taken anything?”

Slowly, as if paying this much attention took effort, Iruka pointed to the table, “The hospital gave me something.”

“When did you last take some?” Kakashi asked and reached for the little bottle sitting amidst tissues and tea-mugs.

A little crease appeared on Iruka’s forehead, “Uhm . . . “

“Right,” Kakashi resisted the urge to laugh at the ill and began to measure a dose, happy there was something he could actually do.

The crease got deeper as Iruka murmured, “It makes me sleepy.”

Kakashi’s mouth twitched into a smile, “Don’t trust me not to draw a mustache on you while you sleep?”

“I trust you,” Iruka mumbled almost immediately before downing the dose Kakashi handed him. The Jounin paused at that, taking a second too long to take the cup back from Iruka.

“Good,” Kakashi murmured and took the teacher’s arm again, pulling him up, “Let’s get you to bed. The couch is no place for the ill.”

Iruka complied easily, letting himself be pulled against Kakashi’s side and toward his own bedroom, “Okay, Kakashi.”

It was probably best Iruka fell asleep before he realized Kakashi took the liberty of tucking him in.

* * *

Kakashi was busy looking through Iruka’s cupboards for anything useful and cleaning up a bit (remembering Iruka’s penchant for tidiness) when he heard whimpering coming from Iruka’s room.

Alarmed, Kakashi hurried back to the Chunin, spotting him curled up in bed just as he’d left him but nothing out of the ordinary. When the distressed noises continued, Kakashi went to the bedside, “Iruka? What’s wrong?”

Iruka shuffled a bit under the blankets, peeking out from the mound of pillows he was buried in, “’m cold.” Kakashi was still trying to decipher the meaning of that when Iruka’s hand reached out, “Help.”

The hand tangled in his shirt as Kakashi sputtered, “I’ll get you another blanket.”

“No,” Iruka nearly whined, “Jus’ get in.” He tugged on Kakashi’s shirt insistently, strength mostly sapped by his fever, but persistent.

Kakashi grabbed Iruka’s hand, unsure whether or not to push it away, “Get – what?”

“Get in,” Iruka really did whine that time and gave one more tug on the front of Kakashi’s shirt.

Kakashi hesitated. He knew this was all Iruka’s fever talking and that he should just try to get him back to sleep.

On the other hand, Iruka’s big, brown eyes were looking up at him pleadingly and his full lips formed a pout, “Please, K’kashi?”

Kakashi broke with a sigh, “Alright, but you are _not_ allowed to be mad at me later.”

Iruka nodded in thanks and moved over to make room. Kakashi decided he could save some part of his soul by only getting on top of the blankets. He was being _good,_ damnit. Iruka immediately snuggled into Kakashi’s side, undeterred by the Jounin’s stiff posture.

Iruka wrapped an arm around Kakashi’s chest, buried his nose in his shirt, and murmured into it, “Thank you, K’kashi.” This close Kakashi could feel the rattle in Iruka’s chest as he breathed.

And Kakashi felt himself melt at the sight of Iruka’s hand once more tangled into his shirt and his lashes fluttering as he drifted back to sleep. His hand settled on top of the Chunin’s as if of it’s own accord, “Of course, Iruka.”

* * *

Kakashi waited until he was sure Iruka was fast asleep before he tried to get up. The fever wasn’t getting better and he thought it would be a good idea to get some more medicine in him and maybe a cool rag for his head.

Edging out from under Iruka’s hold proved to be a bit of a challenge though, because as Kakashi slid off the bed Iruka’s hand tightened and the teacher began to murmur in his sleep.

“Easy, Sensei,” Kakashi gently pried Iruka’s hand away, “I’ll be right back.”

He ended up switching his body with a pillow so Iruka would cuddle it instead, which may have been a misuse of a _kawarimi_ , but at least Kakashi made it out of the bed. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of Iruka snuffling and mumbling into the pillow before moving on to the bathroom.

He was busy going through the medicine cabinet (the alphabetized medicine cabinet. Because, Iruka.) looking for aspirin when he realized the noises from Iruka’s bed had gotten more agitated. And closer.

A look through the bathroom door revealed that Iruka had made it out of bed and, much to Kakashi’s horror, half-way across the room with his blankets tangled around his feet. Currently, the teacher was about half-way to a rude meeting with the floor.  

“Oh, no,” Kakashi murmured even as he body flickered across the room to catch Iruka around his shoulders before he landed, “Easy, sensei.”

When he lifted the Chunin up, Iruka blinked in confusion, sleep still dragging at his eyelids. He looked at Kakashi, then at the bathroom, and back to Kakashi, “Tha’ was fast.”

Kakashi had to fight not to laugh, “Yes, well, ninja and all. Why are you out of bed, Iruka?”

“I lost you,” Iruka said roughly and rubbed at his eyes, “No, I mean, I – I couldn’t _find_ you . . .” He trailed off, looking upset and Kakashi’s chest clenched.

“It’s okay, Iruka, I only went to the other room,” Kakashi soothed with a smile.

“Where’s yer scarf,” Iruka slurred in response.

“What?” Kakashi’s smile faltered.

“Your scarf,” Iruka said, voice rising as if he thought Kakashi had trouble hearing, “It’s too cold out. Y’need it.”

“This house makes Suna ashamed to call itself a desert,” Kakashi half-laughed in exasperation, wondering how Iruka remembered he’d been wearing a scarf at all when he’d forgotten back at the front door.

Iruka just stared in confusion, “But you _need_ it. An’ i’s cute all snoodled up ‘round yur face.” The Chunin pulled the collar of his shirt up to the scar across his nose as if to demonstrate.

Kakashi managed to hold himself in check for about five seconds before a very undignified snort escaped him and he laughed. After a moment of watching in bemusement, Iruka hesitantly joined in, little chuckles following behind Kakashi’s barely restrained guffaw. That of course led to Iruka’s next cough attack and Kakashi was glad he already had hold of the teacher because he nearly doubled over with the force of it.

Iruka leaned into Kakashi’s chest afterward, panting as the Jounin decided, “Okay, back to bed now.”

“Kay,” Iruka rasped into Kakashi’s shoulder, “Stupid Snow Country.”

Kakashi opened his mouth to ask but decided some thoughts were best left to the fevered mind. He more or less carried Iruka back to bed, picked the blankets up off the floor, and tucked the Chunin back in.

“Stay there,” Kakashi commanded gently and turned back to the bathroom to finish his task. He found everything he was looking for, having to make a trip to the kitchen as well before returning to Iruka’s bedside. He had hoped Iruka would fall back to sleep, but was unsurprised to find him awake and waiting.

Iruka blinked up at him drowsily as Kakashi perched himself on the edge of the mattress and asked, “Can you sit up again?”

The teacher seemed to think about it before nodding. His face pinched in pain as Kakashi helped prop him up on some pillows, mumbling tiredly, “Head hurts.”

Kakashi was already holding out two aspirin, “This will help.” He held out the water as well and helped Iruka drink as much as he could. Finally, Iruka laid back down and Kakashi mopped his face before laying the cool rag over his forehead. Iruka seemed to appreciate it, eyes drifting closed and a low hum emitting from his throat.

“Go back to sleep, Sensei,” Kakashi muttered almost to himself, “I’ll be here.” Iruka sighed and Kakashi took it as agreement. He started to get up, thinking he would put some of the things back where he found them, when a fever-warm hand wrapped around his wrist.

He stopped and looked up at Iruka, eyes half-mast but hopeful, “Get in?”

In all honesty, Kakashi knew he probably shouldn’t. But so far Iruka had proved quite persistent in this request. So instead, Kakashi leaned in close to Iruka, the Chunin blinking up at him in confusion as he said, “On one condition.”

Iruka blinked as if to say, _What?_

“You go to _sleep_ ,” Kakashi finished in his best mock-teacher voice.

Iruka chuckled and nodded gingerly, careful of his head, and moved over for Kakashi to claim his former position on top of the blankets. Iruka _hmm_ ed again and curled back into Kakashi’s side, head resting on his shoulder, hand settled over his sternum. Kakashi felt the Chunin’s breathing even out even though it rattled in his throat and chest. He draped the damp rag over the side of the bowl of water when it fell off Iruka’s head.

After a moments thought, the same feeling of pointlessness from when Iruka fed him breakfast after a night of drinking came back to him and Kakashi rolled his eyes at his hesitation. He pulled his mask down and got comfortable, figuring Iruka was well and truly asleep by then . . . or he could be just awake enough to stare up at Kakashi’s bare face and giggle in utter excitement.

“I thought we had a deal,” Kakashi grumbled with a smile.

Iruka’s somewhat loopy grin grew and he reached up and pet Kakashi’s cheek, “Pretty.”

The teacher shook with Kakashi’s chest as he laughed lowly, “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He smoothed Iruka’s hair away from his face, “And I return the sentiment.”

Iruka smiled again and Kakashi wondered not for the first time how he would take all this when his fever finally broke.

“G’night, ‘Kashi,” Iruka murmured and pressed his nose into Kakashi’s chest, a content sigh escaping him.

“Good night, Sensei,” Kakashi replied, again letting his hand rest over Iruka’s as he drifted off to sleep with him.

* * *

 **A/N:** This was brought to you from my utter lack of self-control . . .

The sick-scene was actually harder to write from Kakashi’s POV, go figure. I didn’t include the last bit where Iruka wakes up because I think it said everything it could in the first version, honestly, and things were getting a tad long. 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and bookmarked! 

 


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